Just a quick discussion to set the stage here.
Different organizations are different!
For some companies, “projects” are one-off activities separate from their core processes, or basic business, such as making cars, or discovery of new pharmaceutical compounds, etc.. Here, it is critical to understand the dynamics in play when an individual is asked to contribute to a project while maintaining current duties within the core business. The individuals insist they will do both, but the result is always: Core business process work first, and project work “when we can.” In the end, process work always gets done, because this is the path to raises, promotions, etc. With the best of intentions, equal attention is not equal, and the project work suffers.
Where Projects are King
For some companies, “projects” is all they do! Examples include contractors, construction managers, and professional services consulting firms. Why is this significant? The management structure is different, and the culture is different. These people just don’t see what the big deal is. They don’t see the conflict between process and project. More importantly, if you ask them to help you plan and execute your project, they won’t protect you from the conflict inside your organization. It’s not their life experience. They might see it, but don’t understand its root causes, or, how it can be eliminated.
What does this have to do with project initiation? Everything!
Your teams will be cross-functional, because they will include members from multiple departments or disciplines, to adequately cover the project needs. Try for dedicated teams, and eliminate the conflict. If that’s not possible, there is an approach you can use, which I’ll cover in greater detail when we discuss execution.
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